Martin Ødegaard has praised Declan Rice for his “incredible” performance as an emergency right-back, emphasizing that Arsenal is “prepared to do whatever it takes” to secure the Premier League title.
With Jurriën Timber sidelined due to a suspected ankle injury just before the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Brighton, Rice stepped up to fill the right-back position. The victory helped Arsenal maintain their two-point lead over Manchester City atop the league.
Ben White’s absence meant Rice was needed in defense, and Mikel Arteta faced further challenges when Riccardo Calafiori withdrew just before kick-off. Arteta later remarked that, given the team’s injury struggles this season, they are already in survival mode.
With both Timber and White out, Rice might have to continue playing out of position when Arsenal takes on third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Ødegaard commented on Rice’s performance, stating, “It was an incredible display for him, probably the first time he’s played right-back, and to perform as he did today was fantastic. It was an outstanding performance from him.” He added, “That’s just the spirit of our team. Everyone is ready to do whatever it takes, and Rice’s performance is a great example of that.”
Ødegaard also contributed to the victory by scoring his first goal of the season just 14 minutes into the match at the Emirates. The home team seemed on track for a comfortable win until Georginio Rutter inadvertently scored an own goal after halftime.
However, after Diego Gómez found the net in the 64th minute, David Raya made crucial saves in the final moments to help Arsenal secure their position at the top of the table.
Ødegaard, who has been looking to find the net more frequently, expressed his delight at finally breaking his goal drought: “I’ve been waiting for this moment and working hard to improve my finishing. I like to get into those positions, and Bukayo (Saka) knows me well; he found me there. It was a great goal.” He added, “It was brilliant. We’ve been working hard for this, so we’re really happy about it.”